Kicking Horse Coffee Newsfeed

BC Business - B.C. Roasteries from Bean to Brew

khcoffee — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:04:09 -0700

Why are British Columbians so obsessed with their fair trade, organic and ethical cuppa joe?
By Andrew Findlay

Leo Johnson, co-founder of Kicking Horse Coffee Co. Ltd., remembers pondering an entrepreneurial hunch in the mid-1990s when he and his wife Elana Rosenfeld considered carving out a place on grocery store shelves for specialty coffee alongside the MJBs and Maxwell Houses of the world. That’s when organic food was relegated to an obscure supermarket ghetto and fair trade was barely a blip on the public radar screen.  

“The business is vastly different from when we started,” says Johnson, over the phone from head office in Invermere. “Back then, there were few options for organic coffee, fair trade wasn’t even in existence in Canada and in the retail grocery market there wasn’t a specialty coffee option. We saw a gap and decided to go retail.” Since then, he and Rosenfeld have amassed a string of business awards, including the Business Development Bank of Canada’s young entrepreneur and ongoing achievement awards. 

Invermere, a small mountain-shrouded Columbia Valley community, hardly seemed a likely place to germinate a coffee empire when Johnson and Rosenfeld left Toronto for the Rocky Mountains shortly after graduating from university in the early 1990s. They dabbled in the smoothie and café business before launching Kicking Horse Coffee in 1996, goaded, they claim, by Rosenfeld’s mother into opening a coffee roastery.

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BC Business

Global Toronto News Hour - Winter Solstice in Kensington Market

khcoffee — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:21:17 -0700

The official start of winter is here and that also means the shortest day of the year. For people in Kensington Market, that's enough for an annual celebration. David Shum reports.

Can you spot the two Kicking Horse Coffee Toques? Hint 0:10 & 0:38

Night Before Christmas - The Kicking Horse Coffee version

khcoffee — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:56:41 -0700

Twas the day before Christmas and all through KHC
The staff were all busy packing coffee
For the last Christmas orders were leaving today
And Scheffers had called, they were on their way.

The Roasters were finished the last roast for the year
Fresco was humming along in high gear
But the weather was failing and they were calling for snow
It had to hold off, this order must go

When up on the roof there arose such a clatter
Everyone ran to see what was the matter

It was windy and cold and starting to snow
The sidewalk was slippery and icy below
But up on the roof……a sight to be had
A sleigh with eight reindeer and a man……who looked mad.

“I tried for the airport, but overshot it I guess
Now we’re stuck on this roof. Oh what a mess.
Peter asked me to help he said with a frown
He’s stuck back in Golden, his rig has broke down.
I said that I would, but we’re hungry and cold
Rudolph is sick and we’re all feeling……..OLD.

“Don’t worry”, said Chris, “we’ll fix you all up
The coffee is ready, we’ll pour you a cup.
Lianne, fix something special. Santa is here……
454 for St. Nick, Hoodoo Jo for the deer.

Come on everybody, we have coffee to pack.
Someone get that sleigh down and bring Santa’s sack.
We’ll fill it with coffee and he’ll be on his way,
He can take the last order, GOD, ITS BEEN QUITE A DAY.

Santa returned to his sleigh rested, ready and merry.
His cheeks back to roses his nose like a cherry
“That coffee is magic” he merrily exclaimed
And he called in the reindeer, each one by name.

We need a new leader to head up the sleigh,
Rudolph’s still sick and he can’t fly today
I’ve found a replacement who says he will try
But I don’t believe that a Donkey can fly.

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly
KHC’s little Donkey took to the sky
With a sled full of coffee, he flew with all his might
Proud as could be. Oh what grand sight.

Ho, ho, ho chuckled Santa as they made their last pass
Merry Christmas Kicking Horse Coffee, you really Kick Ass!!!!

By The “Bean Counter”

Profit - Clean up with conscious consumers

khcoffee — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:03:57 -0700

There's money to be made in helping people do the right thing. That's because buying is an exercise in ethics for a large and growing number of shoppers.
By Deborah Aarts

...Invermere, B.C.-based Kicking Horse Coffee Co. Ltd. is another firm tapping into the “club” mindset. An integral part of the company’s brand since its inception 15 years ago is its status as a purveyor of Fair Trade and organic products, for which it charges a premium. The company’s devotees are as fervent as they are loyal; for instance, its Facebook page is full of enthusiastic testimonials from customers keen to broadcast publicly their love of the brand.

Kicking Horse CEO Elana Rosenfeld says her client base has grow noticeably in recent years, and she expects the trend to continue as idealistic Gen Y consumers gain greater buying power.

“More and more customers tell us they feel good about what they’re buying,” she says. “And that creates a deep connection with our brand.”

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Profit

The Bee Cee Beemers' 25th Annual Nakusp Hot Springs Rally

khcoffee — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:22:53 -0700

From the time of arrival greeted by the banner, “Welcome to Bee Cee Beemers’ 25th Anniversary Rally – and 10th Annual Nakusp Hotsprings Rally” to the time of departure on Sunday, the hours were filled with the sound of riders sharing their passion. From the seminars to the bike Parade, GS rides, Rotary breakfast, field events and evening campfires, there was something for everyone. Nightly motorcycle adventure movies were a huge hit!

All it would take would be a look at the map to see why BMW riders gathered 18–21 August in Nakusp, British Columbia. Great roads, many quite empty of other vehicles, stretch in every direction. And the town itself—the nicest small town in BC—is another compelling reason. When you couple that with being able to start every day with a cup or two of fresh brewed Kicking Horse coffee and the great meals served with attention to detail in a tree-lined oasis by none other than Debbie Guest and crew, what’s not to love!

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Bee Cee Beamers